Steve Tilford, a staple of American bike racing for decades, suffered a head injury in a group ride crash in Topeka, Kansas on Friday. The incident sent Tilford and Bill Stolte to the hospital.
Tilford suffered a cracked skull, a small subarachnoid bleed, and frontal lobe contusions. Stolte has a collapsed lung and broken ribs.
The incident occurred on one of Topeka’s well-known group rides when a dog ran in front of the group. Tilford hit the dog, then Stolte hit Tilford.
Tilford, now in his 50s, has national championships in multiple disciplines and raced for teams like Levis and Wheaties in his younger years. He writes a popular, eponymous blog that mirrors his real-world reputation for honest, occasionally abrasive, tell-it-like-it-is attitudes.
Tilford was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, according to a blog post by friend Vincent Davis. “He may be pissed at us for posting this when he’s all better, but seriously, wear your helmets,” Davis said. “We don’t know if it will change his decisions in the future, but please let it change yours.”
More information on Tilford and Stolte’s condition can be found on the blog.
VeloNews wishes Steve and Bill speedy recoveries.
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